I Belong With You (You Belong With Me)
by justanoutlaw
Summary: An unconventional, but loving family finding its way in Storybrooke.
1. Wisdom

This was submitted to me by littlereddove from a drabble post I reblogged: "Why did I marry you?"

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Emma's second pregnancy had been as unplanned as her first. However, it was also different. This time around, she knew she would be raising the baby. She also knew, she wasn't alone. Not only did she have her parents and Henry by her side, she also had her husband and wife.

For Neal, the pregnancy was a roller coaster of emotions. He hadn't gotten to raise Henry until he was 11 years old. They had made up for what they could, but nothing could give him back those years. This baby was not a replacement, merely a chance to get all those little moments.

As for Regina, she was just excited to be a mother again. She was cautious with the emotions that she knew Emma and Neal would feel surrounding the birth of their second child. She had been able to take care of Henry since infancy. However, for her, it was going to be all new. Parenting a baby together was going to be far different than doing the same with a teenager.

When Emma was in prison, the months went by so slowly. Being a busy mother, wife and sheriff, her second pregnancy seemed to fly by. Before she knew it, they had set up a nursery (decorated in black and white, since they didn't know the sex of the baby) and car seats had been installed into each of their vehicles. Emma had declined a baby shower, but Snow and Belle seemed to be stopping by every day with a new outfit or toy. Henry had built a library for the little one, overflowing three bookshelves.

Emma's due date came and passed. Exactly one week after it, she finally began to feel the telltale contractions. Regina sat with her in the back as Neal zoomed to the hospital. By the time she was admitted, she was finding it hard to ignore the pain.

"You know, we still haven't picked a name," Regina said, trying to distract her.

Neal nodded. They had tossed some around and of course, their entire family had given their two cents, but they had nothing. "That's right."

"I can't even think of anything right now," Emma grunted. "One of you pick."

"Hmmm…how about Yaz?" Neal playfully suggested, wanting to lighten the mood.

Emma gave him a glare so hard, he was surprised to still be alive. "Why did I marry you?"

"Because you love me," he gave her his cunning smile.

"In all seriousness," Regina interrupted with a smirk. "How about Baelfire?"

"Um, no, we are not naming the baby after me."

"Why? You don't even go by that."

"He'll get made fun of. Plus, it could be a girl."

"I've just had this feeling that it's going to be a boy."

Emma rubbed her swollen stomach. "I don't care if it's a boy or a girl, I just want him or her out of me."

The labor seemed to last as long as the pregnancy did. Emma's dilation started to become so slow, that the doctor talked about sending her home. Just as they were ready to head back, Emma's water broke and things started going very fast. Neal and Regina were on either side, holding tightly to her hands. Both were silent, knowing she wasn't one for words of encouragement. Finally, the cries of their newborn baby could be heard.

"It's a girl," the doctor called out.

For once, there was something that even Regina was wrong about. Neal would vow to never let her live it down, but he was too much in awe of his daughter. After cutting the cord, he and Regina helped swaddle her in the blanket that Granny had knitted, handing her to Emma. She felt the tears gather in her eyes as she stared down at her daughter. She never got to hold Henry, she hadn't allowed herself. Her heart swelled with emotions as she stroked her cheek. There were no words she could say, she just adjusted the baby and smiled down at her with tears falling down her cheeks.

Neal held her as she delivered the afterbirth, falling in love with her just as he had Henry the first time he saw him. That was when he knew, it didn't matter, whether getting to meet them when they were minutes old or 11, he would always love them just the same. He passed her to Regina next and he can see her crying for the first time since Neverland. The baby has wormed her way into her heart. She's her daughter, no matter who's blood runs through her veins.

They knew people would want to come and visit as soon as they found out. They wanted Henry to meet his sister, for their parents to meet their newest grandchild. At the same time, they wanted to cherish their daughter before anyone else got to lay eyes on her.

"She looks just like Henry did," Regina whispered. "Except, he already had dark hair. She has blonde."

"Many babies are born with blonde hair," Emma tried to dismiss. "We don't know that hers will stick."

"I don't know," Neal murmured. "I think it might."

"I guess only time will tell." And hit her, she'd actually be around to see it.

"I…I think I have a name, if you two want to hear it," Regina said.

"Go for it."

"Sofia."

Emma grinned. "I love it."

Neal nodded. "It's sweet."

"Sofia Cassidy Swan-Mills," Emma whispered.

It was a name that meant wisdom, but it was also a name that represented them all.

Sofia had been born into a crazy family tree, that much was certain. She was also guaranteed to never lack for love.

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As always, I do accept prompts! Whether it be on here or my Tumblrs: just-an-outlaw and justanoutlawfanfiction.


	2. The Start

So, I have had a few people ask me about how I thought Regina would feel about Neal coming back. In this verse, my headcanon is that Pan's curse never happened. On the boat back, Henry never had his body swapped, so they were all just able to settle down and be a family. So, obviously a prequel to "Wisdom".

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 _I've been trying to do it right_  
 _I've been living a lonely life_  
 _I've been sleeping here instead_  
 _I've been sleeping in my bed,_  
 _Show me family_  
 _All the blood that I would bleed_  
 _I don't know where I belong_  
 _I don't know where I went wrong-The Lumineers_

Regina walked up the stairs to the Charmings' loft, with Henry by her side. "You have everything you need? I could run back and grab it for you."

"I'm all set, Mom. I have half my stuff here."

"Right, right."

The door to the loft opened before they could even knock. Emma stood there, a smile on her face.

"Hey kid," she said. "We're so glad you're coming to spend the weekend with us. We've missed you."

"I've missed you too," Henry said, wrapping his arms around her.

After they returned from Neverland, Regina and Emma sat down to have a long talk. Henry made it clear that he wanted to move back into the mansion, but also wanted to see Emma. Together, they had worked out a custody schedule. While Henry would obviously see his other mom around town and could visit her after school, he really only spent nights at the lofts every other weekend.

"Let's go unpack your stuff," Emma said. "Your dad's waiting for us at the park."

"Dad?" Regina raised an eyebrow. "Neal's still in town?"

"Yeah, um…we're sort of giving a relationship a shot again."

Regina's face faltered. She wasn't sure why she was so surprised, she had seen the way Neal looked at Emma. Snow had told her about their confessions to one another. The two idiots were in love. She knew she shouldn't be upset. Emma was never going to be attracted her, it was just how things were. They were co-parents, at the best, friends. That was how it was supposed to be.

"Well, good for you." She kissed the top of her head. "I'll pick you up from school on Monday, okay?"

"Okay. Bye Mom, love you," Henry told her.

"I love you too, my sweet prince."

Henry watched Regina walk away, not missing the look on her face. He wasn't stupid, he knew how his moms felt about each other. Yet, he knew things were complicated. Clearly, Emma had feelings for Neal and he felt the same. Three people couldn't all be in a relationship, could they?

Once he unpacked the bag he had brought, they headed to the park. The first bit of time was him and Neal dueling with the wooden swords that David had gifted him. Emma watched on with a smile, taking some pictures. An hour in, they settled down for a picnic before Henry ran off to say hi to some friends.

"So, Regina's really letting you have weekends with him?" Neal asked Emma.

She nodded. "Yup, I feel pretty lucky. I know I didn't handle this whole custody thing right from the beginning."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she's his mother. I never should've taken him out of the state to come see you, I know that now."

"Wait…I always assumed that you two had an open adoption or whatever."

Emma bit her lip. "No. I didn't know where Henry had ended up until he came knocking on my door last year. Regina kept telling me to leave town, to stay away from him, but I didn't. I couldn't. I just felt that there was something here and I was right."

"You didn't have to be near Henry to figure that out."

"I know. I just…given how I grew up, I was scared."

Neal could see the regret on Emma's face. He knew her well, it wasn't easy for her to admit that she had screwed up. As hard as everything had been on him, finding out that he had a son that he wasn't told about, he had respect for Regina. He didn't know her as the Evil Queen like his father, Belle or the Charmings did. She had been civil around him in Neverland and ever since they returned. To him, she was just Regina.

It wasn't that he didn't know all of the terrible things she had done. However, he and Henry had one important thing in common, both had been raised by villains. While his father hadn't been the Dark One until his teens, he was still his father. He had been horrified by his actions, but he knew who his father really was deep down. He was still that man, under all the darkness. Neal knew that his papa loved him, just as Regina loved Henry. Both just had their own demons to battle.

He didn't want to make the same mistakes as Emma. He wanted to be a part of Henry's life. After missing 11 years, he didn't want to lose another moment. Back in New York, he had told Emma that she didn't get to make the decisions by herself anymore. The truth was, neither of them did. Henry had another parent and she deserved their respect in handling this crazy situation.

After Henry and Emma had gone back to the loft, Neal texted Regina asking if she was free to talk. She told him to come by the mansion in an hour. After stopping by his father's house to change, he headed over. Regina's house was most likely one of the biggest in Storybrooke, with only his own father's rivaling it. Only the best for a queen, he supposed.

Regina opened the door, tilting her head to the side. "You came."

"I told you I wanted to."

"This has just caught me off surprise. Come in, I made tea."

She lead him through to the kitchen, the two settling down at the table. The first few moments were quiet as they settled their cups, Neal adding a ton of sugar to his cup. Regina couldn't help but snort, something he had yet to hear from her in the past.

"What?"

"Nothing, that's just…that's just how Henry takes his."

"I didn't take him for a tea drinking type."

"He very well can't have hot chocolate every day, as much as I'm sure he'd like to." She sipped her own tea. "So, why did you want to see me?"

"Emma and I were talking about how she got to be in Henry's life again. I don't want to be the same way."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I know you two worked out a custody schedule, but I want to be in his life too. I'm not asking for overnights, just time. If you don't want that, if you don't trust me, I understand."

Regina studied the man in front of her. She had never known Milah, the most she had seen of her was in Henry's storybook. She tried to figure out who he favored more, it seemed he had his father's smile, with Milah's hair. Henry had the same texture and color. Ever since she figured out just who Emma was, she figured it was Snow's genetics. It was more than that, though.

He seemed calmer than his father. Had this been Rumpelstiltskin's child, she had no doubt that he would be fighting just as hard as Emma once had. This was the man that had wanted to enact a curse just to find his child. Yet, Neal didn't want that. He wanted her blessing. He certainly didn't need it, but he had come nonetheless. She had just assumed that Henry would see his father.

"Also, even before Emma and I got together, we would do little things with Henry, just to show him that we were a family. Maybe…maybe we could do that, if you'd like," Neal continued before she could say anything. "Dinner or something at Granny's, once a week. Emma could come too."

"You want us to have dinner?"

"I just think it'd be good for the kid to see that we all get along."

"And why is this so important to you?"

Neal bit his lip. "My parents hated each other. This was a land where divorce wasn't an option…which I'm sure you know better than anyone." He saw a strike of pain go across her face and knew better than to press more on her marriage to the king. "Even so, I never really wanted them to be married. I just wanted the fighting to end, for them to be friends. Then maybe, all of us could've been happy. Sounds silly, I know…"

"It sounds exactly like what a kid would wish for," Regina interrupted. "And probably exactly what Henry wants."

"What do you want?"

Regina was quiet for a moment. "I want him to be happy. For his whole life, it was just the two of us. Now, he's found himself with more family than he knows what to do with."

"To be fair, so do you."

"I don't know about that."

"At the very least, you have me and Emma. We're here for you, Regina. Raising a child cannot be easy and I give you credit for doing it alone."

"Even if I was the Evil Queen?" Regina challenged.

"You weren't the Evil Queen. You were his mother, you are his mother. That's all that matters."

"How are you this understanding?"

"Son of the Dark One."

"Right. Almost forgot about that."

"To be fair, I don't have the scaly complexion that I'm sure you were used to."

Regina snorted, taking another sip of her tea. There was something about Neal, not something she could quite put her finger on. This whole conversation was easy, much like her one with Emma had been a few months prior. There was no more tension, they weren't saviors or villains, they were just Henry's parents.

"I think dinners would be good," she said after a few beats. "I'm assuming you'll see him when he's with Emma."

"Of course. I appreciate this Regina, I really do."

"Yes, well, I appreciate you coming and talking to me about all this."

"We're adults, it's what we should do." He finished up his tea and rose to his feet. "I should get going."

"Do you, um, do you want to stay for dinner?" The words fell out of Regina's mouth before she could stop them. "I'm making lasagna, as always I made more than I can eat. I have photo albums from when Henry was younger, we could go over them together."

Neal grinned. "I would love to see them."

Regina slowly smiled and lead him into the den while the dinner finished cooking. There was something between them and it wasn't just the love they shared for Henry and Emma.

They felt it for each other, too.

A few weeks later, Emma sat across from two of them, trying to focus on what they had just said. Both had been talking a mile a minute, trying to explain things. Neal had articles he had printed out from the internet, Regina was sharing her own stories from what she had seen in the Enchanted Forest. None of that had really stuck, though.

They both loved each other and they both loved her.

She had gone from someone who wasn't loved by anyone, to having her parents and Henry. Then Neal and Regina. A part of it was so overwhelming, she could hardly think.

She would be lying if she said that she hadn't always felt some sort of attraction between her and Regina. There was always some sort of sexual tension between them at all times, but there was just never a time for it to be explored. By the time the curse broke, she thought her feelings would change, but they hadn't. Not even when Neal came back into her life and she realized that she loved him too. Now they were telling her that they felt the same.

"This almost seems to easy," she blurted out, interrupting yet another statistic that Neal was reading off. "I mean, come on. We've all seen the movies. In these situations, the person has to choose between the two people she loves. And now…now I could just have you both."

Regina nodded. "We don't have to choose between each other. We can just be together, we can be happy."

"But…but it's not supposed to be this easy. There has to be a catch."

"Emma," Neal took her hand. "Look at everything we've been through. Portals and curses, losing each other, things have finally settled down. Everyone's getting a happy ending, my parents and yours, even Grumpy and Nova. Why can't we just all finally be happy?"

"It's not going to be easy," Regina added. "Things will be hard, especially as we figure it out, but we can do it. If there's one thing your idiot parents have taught me is that true love isn't easy, but once you find it, you don't let it go. It has to be fought for."

Emma looked between the two of them, letting out a deep breath.

"I don't know how this is going to work, but I want it to…more than anything."

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I do take prompts, both on here and my Tumblrs: just-an-outlaw and justanoutlawfanfiction. This verse is so much fun to write, so if you have any prompts for it, just let me know.


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